


One and Done

by Stralia_Harker



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Dom/sub Undertones, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stralia_Harker/pseuds/Stralia_Harker
Summary: Various one shots, ficlets, drabbles and random nonsense that comes to my brain. Rating will probably go up and tags will be added anytime a new story is added. Top/Bottom varies but I will add a disclaimer before each fic.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Neil Hargrove, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Steve Harrington's Father, Steve Harrington & Steve Harrington's Parents
Comments: 5
Kudos: 55





	1. All Things Holy

**Author's Note:**

> Non Beta'd. Contsructive Comments welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Top Billy/Bottom Steve

Steve was on his knees before Billy, eyes staring full of irreverence. His breath was coming in gentle pants, body stimulated by the vibrating plug Billy had worked into him earlier. His pale skin flushed, pink, plump lips slightly parted, patiently waiting to take his communion. Billy stroked his hand down the side of Steve’s face, Steve nuzzling into the touch. Billy’s hand trailed down, gently cupping Steve’s chin, tilting his face up toward Billy. Steve kissed Billy’s thumb before gently sucking it into his mouth, his teeth softly grazing the skin. 

Billy closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of Steve’s plush mouth around his thumb. He reveled in being inside Steve in any way he could, though some ways held higher gravity than others. Heaven, nirvana, zen, valhalla, whatever you want to call it, Steve’s body took him there. Calling sex with Steve a religious experience would sell it short, it was so much more than that, but he could make you see God. Billy was a true believer in his divinity. 

The fall of King Steve had been a parable in the gospel of Tommy, his version of a cautionary tale. Tommy’s stories had only served to pique Billy’s interest in the former king. The more he heard, the more he watched, and the more he watched the more he wanted. It wasn’t long before his prayers were answered and he was blessed with the attentions of the fallen king. Those gentle hands cleaned blood and stroked bruises. Steve gasped when Billy’s lips had met his, and Billy was left breathless. 

Once he had his taste, Billy couldn’t stay away. They had a standing date, once a week they gathered, hands roaming with fervor, touching, tasting, consuming. It was his sabbath, his day of worship. And Billy was fanatical and Steve, he was devout. His hands would map the planes of Billy’s body, coaxing moans while Billy whispered praise to his beautiful boy. Each time Steve swallowed him down Billy’s mind left his body, nothing, no one, had ever been this immaculate. 

Oh and Steve, sweet, sweet, heavenly Steve. He was like an angel straight from heaven. Billy lived for the way he would splay himself across his bed like an offering on the altar. He’d surrender himself over to Billy, mind, body, and soul. And Billy was eternally grateful to receive the offering. He’d done his penance and received the fruits of his labor. He traced the lines of Steve’s body, committing them to memory, the sound of his rapture ringing in Billy’s ears. The praise hymn of “feels so good, right there” would rise til it gave way to a prayer of “Billy, Billy, Billy,” ending in soft whispered declarations of love and devotion As Steve knelt before him, Billy stood in awe. A small whispered “Please” broke the silence. And Billy could do nothing but acquiesce, to deny this sacred creature, that was sacrilege. Steve may have been the one on his knees but Billy was the one worshiping.


	2. Child of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of understanding his relationship with Steve, Richard Harrington discovers his son's biggest secret. He re-examines his relationship with Steve while coming to terms with his past behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd, Sorry for any mistakes.

It had been a strange few days in the Harrington household. Richard Harrington and his wife Theresa had come home unexpectedly. They were meant to be on business up in Chicago but some things had to be pushed back. Theresa had suggested they go to Hawkins for a few days, they hadn’t been home in several months and she wanted to go visit Steve. Richard figured he’d indulge her. He could get work done from home and they were only going to be there for a few days. Maybe he could have another talk with Steve, see if he could get him motivated to do something with his life. He was running out of threats though, he’d told Steve on more than one occasion he was cut off, only to cave and start putting money in the account a few weeks later. The reality was Steve understood responsibility, he just didn’t seem to know what to do with himself. 

He wasn’t really even sure what his kid did with his days now that high school was over and he wasn’t in college. He’d had a summer job at the mall, then the explosion happened. He was coming to terms with some things about his relationship with his son. His wake up call was when he’d found out about the explosion, almost a month after it had happened. And even then it was because he’d caught a segment on the news. Steve hadn’t even called to tell them about it, then he wondered if it was because Steve was hurt, he called home. Steve told him he was fine, yes he’d been in working, he was a little banged up but better off than a lot of people. They only spoke for a few minutes, Steve saying he had to get to work. The next time they spoke he asked Steve why he hadn’t told him and Theresa. Steve said, he was alive and he had another job, didn’t seem important. Somehow Richard had managed to catch the underlying ‘I didn’t think you’d care.” 

He knew Steve had a job, knew it was at the video store, but other than that he had no clue what Steve got up to. That was incredibly evident when he and Theresa came home. The house had been quiet, Steve’s car was out front so they knew he was home. It was nearly eleven am, he should be up by now. Richard couldn’t fathom sleeping later than eight and even that was pushing it. He heard Theresa gasp when she opened up Steve’s bedroom door. He stood next to her peering in. Steve was lying in bed with another boy, both boys clearly shirtless and tangled together in a way that was definitely not platonic. He ushered Theresa out and closed the door quietly. 

She looked at him, eyes wide, she looked scared for her son. Richard wasn’t sure what he felt, other than confusion. Since when did his son sleep with boys, he’d had girlfriends all through high school. Maybe this was the experimentation people talked about, he was at the age, it’s just that stuff usually happened away at college. He wordlessly walked to his bedroom, Theresa right on his heels. He felt like he should be disgusted like he should be upset that his son was sleeping with another boy. But oddly he didn’t he felt worried, but more so wanted to know more. He wanted to find out if this was some passing phase or if his son was indeed gay. He felt like he could make a better decision once he had all the facts.   
It was around noon when he heard movement in Steve’s room. He decided he should make it known that they were home and headed to the kitchen, Theresa was already there trying to sort out lunch of some sort. He was surprised to see the kitchen was fully stocked, and not with junk food. There was a casserole of some sort in the fridge, it was clearly leftovers, there were dishes in the dishwasher and it looked as if the kitchen was getting regular usage. He had started the oven as Theresa pulled the leftovers out to warm up. He heard Steve’s sharp intake of air as he saw them, Richard turned to see Steve standing in the doorway, bed head, and in his sleep pants. He could see the other boy slightly behind him. 

“When did you guys get in?” 

“This morning, who’s your friend back there?” Richard was trying not to sound intimidating. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation. The one thing his job had taught him was to assess the situation first, don’t make rash decisions. 

“This is Billy. Hargrove.” Billy stepped out from behind Steve. Richard could see a mass of scars on the boy’s torso. He wondered if he’d been in the mall that night too.

“Oh, Billy, you were the one that helped get those kids out of the mall right?” Theresa spoke up.

“Yes ma’am.” Billy was quiet, he looked a little lost. His blue eyes not quite meeting anyone else’s. 

“We were just heating up the casserole leftovers we saw in the fridge, you two hungry,” Theresa asked.

“I was just going to make some toast and take Billy home. I have to work today.”

“It was nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington.” Billy turned and headed back up the stairs, Steve busied himself with making their toast and pouring some juice. 

“It’s nice to see you guys. I’m gonna go take this upstairs.” Steve said as he left the kitchen

The whole interaction had been stilted and awkward. Steve seemed so uncomfortable with them around. Richard wasn’t sure if it had been due to their presence or if it was due to Billy being there. He had realized as Steve stood there that he had nothing to say to his son outside of possibly making small talk. Sure he had questions but those were best saved for when he had Steve’s full attention. Steve came down not long after, Billy in tow, he said his goodbye’s and headed out.

While he was gone Richard took stock of the house. It was still immaculate, it was clean, much like the fancy hotels he was used to staying in. In fact, it really didn’t look as if anyone lived here. Aside from the kitchen and family room, it looked like a show house. It was all staged, even the rooms that were used were clean. He was grabbing himself water from the fridge when he noticed a small calendar on the door. It had dates maked for various maintenance and cleaning appointments. There were reminders for shopping and a list pinned to the door. Steve was surprisingly organized. He went to check on Theresa and found her napping in their room. Without her to distract him his curiosity got the best of him and he headed up to Steve’s room. He just wanted to take a glance, maybe something would jump out. 

The room itself was decorated in the same plaid he remembered. The bed was hastily made and there was a small pile of shirts on the floor. He could see several pictures on the top of the dresser, one was of a girl he remembered Steve dating, he couldn’t remember her name for the life of him. There were several pictures of Steve with a group of kids, a curly-haired one appeared most often. There was another picture of him and some blonde girl in the silly uniform from the ice cream place. There were a couple of him and Billy, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the photos that they were more than friends. There was one photo in particular that caught his eye, it was from Steve’s graduation. He and Theresa had been overseas and unable to make it. They’d sent him a gift and a card. He recognized Claudia Henderson in the photo, she was hugging Steve, she looked so proud of him and he looked happy. 

He looked happy in all his pictures, these kids he apparently hung out with, the adults who seemed to like him, and especially in the pictures with Billy. Richard looked around some more, eyes landing on the desk. He saw a stack of books, he picked them up, examining them, he saw Billy’s name written in the front covers. He looked at a stack of papers, seeing a bank statement on top. It was the account he’d set up for Steve. He could see several deposits, but no withdrawals, which struck him as odd. There wasn’t a lot more for him to see, not without actively going through Steve’s things. He was about to leave when he knocked a book off the desk. It fell to the ground and several papers fell out. 

Picking them up he saw they were discharge instructions from a hospital and a referral to a specialist. Steve had apparently suffered a severe concussion in the explosion and the referral was to a neurologist. This was not the first concussion his son had received. He looked over the paperwork, seeing several injuries that Steve had downplayed. There was also a second set of instructions, these were it seemed were for Billy. The instructions were very detailed and it seemed rather intensive. Things were far worse than Steve had said, it bothered him that his own son couldn’t seem to talk to him. He left the room, more questions than answers on his tongue. Heading downstairs he decided he needed to talk to Theresa, see where her head was at on this. He shook her gently as he sat on the edge of the bed. She woke, looking at Richard. 

“You want to talk about Steve?” he asked. She nodded. 

“He’s our son Richard. Our only child. We’re not disowning him. Or if you are I’ll leave.” Her face was set in determination. He knew she was serious.

“I know, Theresa. I know. I don’t know what to think. I just thought he liked girls, he was always chasing some girl, always talked about the cheerleaders. I’ve gotten a couple of calls from angry fathers. It’s just been occurring to me how little I know my son.”

“We’re never home Richard. And how we thought that was ok is beyond me. I talk to him, once a week I call. Ever since the incident with the mall. We could have lost him and I don’t even know him. There aren’t enough words to apologize for leaving him behind. I’m really not shocked that we don’t know him. Did you know he’s dyslexic?” Richard shook his head.

“When did he find that out?”

“He said his friend told him he was. That’s why he had so much trouble focusing. Why he barely passed high school. He works with someone now to help him.” 

“I wanted to be disgusted with him. Wanted to go kick the bed and kick him and his friend out.”

“What stopped you?”

“The shock. I already had an idea of how little I knew about him. This just drove it all home. Did you know he’s not touching the account? Not since before he got the job in the mall. He’s been paying for things with what he makes at his jobs. I’ve spent all this time thinking he was irresponsible and lazy. He’s kept this house up, he managed to graduate despite a learning disability and he’s not taking any more than he needs. He’s a grown-up and probably has been for a long time.” 

“I think you should talk to him. He’s quite funny. He’s not us, and we messed up. We had all these expectations for him, but we never helped him meet them. We threw money his way and expected him to figure it out. We’re bad parents Richard.”

“I really thought I was helping him. It’s what my father did. Instead, I became a stranger. We were bad parents.” 

He and Theresa sat in silence for a few moments. She finally got up, telling Richard she was going to have a bath. He sat and tried to figure out what he wanted to say to Steve. He wondered if they hadn’t come home how much further would his son have drifted from him. They were already worlds apart, and he didn’t know how to fix that. But he was sure that his wife was right, there needed to be an honest conversation. He didn’t want either of them thinking they had to hide from him. That he’d somehow be displeased that they spoke, he was angry at himself for ever letting either believe that. She was his mother, she was allowed to speak to him whenever she wanted. He wondered how he’d somehow turned into some kind of tyrant. 

It was almost eleven when Steve walked in, Richard could hear him in the kitchen. Theresa had left him a plate of food and Richard could hear the microwave. He thought now would be a good time to talk to Steve. It was just them, and he needed to get things off his chest. He headed to the kitchen, hoping he wouldn’t mess this talk up. He really wanted his son to at least be able to tell him the important things. 

“How was work?” Steve turned, his mouth full. He finished chewing and answered.

“It was fine, not too busy today. Did you have anything big going on today?’

“Nothing pressing. We’re just here for a few days, the Chicago conference got pushed. Your mom wanted to come to visit. I thought it was a good idea.”

“It’s always good to see you guys. When do you leave?”

“Tuesday. Steve, I wanted to have a talk. I have some things to say.” Steve nodded, and Richard took note of the look on his face, he looked like he was being walked to the gallows. 

“Look, dad, I know school is important and I’m working on it, I really am. I just, I need some more time to get things in order. And I can get out of the house if you need. I have enough to get my own place,..” Richard’s mind was reeling, upset that Steve’s first reaction was to explain himself. 

“Steven, I’m not kicking you out. Your mom told me about the dyslexia, honestly, it explains a lot. It’s just, I don’t know you very well. It’s become more apparent this last year just how little I know about you. I wanted to apologize to you. I haven’t been a good parent to you. I kept expecting you to make the kinds of decisions I’d make. But you’re not me and I understand that now.” Steve looked over at Richard, not quite sure what to make of it.

“Thanks, I guess. I don’t really understand.”

“We saw you two this morning when we came home. You were asleep.” Richard saw Steve visibly tense, could see the panic rising in him.

“Dad… listen…” Richard cut him off, wanted to calm him down.

“Look, there was a second where I thought about waking you both and throwing you out. There was a second where I thought I was supposed to be disgusted with you, but it hit me that this was just another thing I didn’t know about you. And the more I’ve thought about it I’m just worried for you. I just want to know you’re being safe, in more ways than one. It’s an issue in the larger cities, this is a small town, bad things can happen.” 

“I know. We are, being careful. People think we’re best friends, figure it’s some bond thinking from being at the mall that night. Neil would most likely literally kill him if he knew. I didn’t know how to tell you, figured you guys wouldn’t’ even notice.”

“Except we came home early. Would you have ever told us?” Steve shrugged.

“Probably not, I know I disappoint you, I really don’t think I could take you disowning me, or worse.”

“You’re my son, my only child. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but ever since I found out about the explosion I’ve really been thinking about our relationship. You never called us, and I know that’s my fault. I’m not sure how I feel about you and him, but I won’t do anything to put either of you in danger.” Steve nodded.

“Thanks, dad, I’m going to bed now.” 

Steve had seemed much timider around him the next day, Richard caught him looking at him, studying him. He could see the trepidation on Steve’s face, he knew Steve didn’t trust him completely. Steve was afraid of him, of what he could do. He had taken at least one step in building a relationship, he just needed time to figure the rest of it out. He hoped it wasn’t too late, he knew Steve was going to need the moral support of he and Theresa. Richard had seen how the world treated boys like Steve. He loved his son, he just needed to figure out how to show him. 

It was just after lunch when a frantic knock sounded on their front door. Steve came running down the stairs like he knew who was at the door. He heard someone’s distraught voice as the front door shut. He looked out the front window, seeing Billy. He was widely gesturing, he looked completely worked up, Steve was trying hard to calm him down. The discussion seemed to get heated when he saw Steve freeze and look down the driveway. Richard followed his line of sight and saw a man getting out of a truck, he was headed toward Billy and Steve. This had to be Billy’s dad, Neil.   
And suddenly Richard Harrington understood, saw what it was that Steve had been afraid of. He watched as Neil Hargrove berated his son, throwing slur after slur at him. And he watched as the boy stood, eyes always on his father, but his stance looked ready to curl in on himself. But what really caught him was the way he stood in front of Steve, who looked ready to pounce, this kid kept a barrier between his son and the man who by all accounts, wouldn’t hesitate to put his hands on Steve. And as he listened to Neils incensed rant, the barrage of vile insults thrown at his own child, he really understood why Steve wouldn’t have told him. 

He had been hard on his child, making thinly veiled insults. He’d thought he was showing tough love, making his son into a man. He thought leaving him home he’d learn to take care of himself, how to not rely on anyone else. He thought alluding to Steve’s intelligence would make him push himself harder, work to prove Richard wrong. He had never once thought that his actions would be seen as anything but tough love. But he watched, saw the way Steve’s face changed, the look of someone who understood, and he knew, Steve understood how Billy felt under his own father’s gaze. Steve felt just as unloved as Billy did. 

He’d done nothing to help raise his son, jetting off to whatever city business called for. He’d taken his wife, encouraging her to go out and see the sights, enjoy the world. He’d left his child in the care of nanny after nanny, and finally, once he was deemed old enough, left him to care for himself. He was twelve years old and running a home while his parents traveled the world. And as Steve grew up, he’d never been there, threw money at what problems he could, left Steve to figure the rest out. And he’d been so disappointed when Steve hadn’t turned out the way he wanted him to. But now, what did he expect, he was never there to give his child guidance. Steve was his own person, he’d turned out the way he did because he had to figure it out for himself. 

He was staring at this commotion on his front lawn, watching his son fight with himself to stay behind his boyfriend. Steve was not book smart, and that was Richard’s fault, leaving a kid without supervision, ignoring what teachers would tell him. He wrote Steve off as lazy, but he’d seen the home, the way it was run, Steve did that. And Steve was outside, showing where his talents truly lie. He was people smart, he could read the situation, and Richard could see it. Steve’s emotions were all over his face, the anger he felt, the rage, his fist balled at his sides, but he was restrained, he knew this was not the time. He was slowly pulling Billy back, little by little, attempting to retreat without Neil realizing. He was almost successful.

It was all in slow motion for Richard, watching as Billy landed on his ass, a hard shove from Neil sending him sprawling. Richard had just thrown the front door open when he heard the loud crack of skin on skin. He came out to see Steve’s head turned, a large red mark forming on his cheek. Now Richard knows he was not a kind man, the way he treated Steve was at best severe neglect, but he had never and would never lay his hands on him, and to see another parent do so had him seeing red. Richard was on the lawn and on Neil Hargrove in a flash. Richard was not a small man, he worked out regularly, paying attention to his physique. He was slim like his son, but he was muscular. And contrary to popular belief, he knew how to throw a punch. 

He was aware there was yelling but he was singularly focused on rearranging Neil Hargove’s face. It wasn’t till he was being pulled back into a solid body that he stopped, as he was being held back he finally came back to himself. He could see his wife standing next to the two boys, who looked a little shell shocked. His son had an ice pack pressed to his face, his wife had begun fussing over Billy. A groan from below him caught his attention, he looked to see Neil was slowly coming around. His face was a mess of black and blue, he could see a police car parked on the street. He realized then who was holding him back, he was grateful, because he probably would have kept going. 

“You going to stay calm if I let you go?” That was Jim Hopper’s voice, he remembered the man. 

“Yes, officer. I’ll mind myself.” Jim let him go, turning to survey the scene. He looked thoroughly confused. Richard Harrington wasn’t the type to be getting into fights, Steve at one point was, but Richard had always been rather upstanding, even as a teen. 

Richard heard Jim calling for another officer and an ambulance. Jim led Richard to his car, sitting him in the back seat, but thankfully not cuffing him. He sat while Hopper headed over to check Neil, who had begin to demand that Richard be arrested. Jim was having to restrain Neil who was now trying to make his way to Richard. He’d started yelling at him about Steve and Billy.

“Do you know what they’re getting up to?! What your son is?!” Your son is a faggot!” 

Richard was trying very hard to keep composed, this here was exactly what he’s been afraid of. Thankfully the ambulance and second officer arrived and they managed to wrangle Neil into the ambulance to be checked out. Richard could faintly hear Neil’s shouts through the closed door. He looked over at the boys who looked like they just wanted to disappear. Richard guessed they had hoped to keep their secret for a lot longer. To his credit Jim seemed to be regarding the boys very carefully, looking genuinely concerned. Finally he made his way back over to Richard. 

“You want to tell me what happened? I’m guessing this was not an unprovoked attack.”

“He hit my kid.” Richard simply stated. 

“I’m gonna need a little more info than that.” 

“The other kid, Billy, he showed up here, seemed upset, he and Steve were talking. Neil shows up, starts yelling, Billy ended up on the ground and he slapped Steve. Guessing he already knocked his kid around, judging by the black eye he’s starting to get.” Jim nodded.

“Sit tight, I’ll be back.” Jim walked over and spoke to the boys and Theresa. Richard figured things were ok once he saw Jim open the ambulance and cuff Neil. Once Neil was loaded into the second car, Jim came back over.

“Everyone’s story matches up. Plus Billy’s sister called, there was an altercation at the Hargrove home as well. You should watch that anger though, this could’ve turned out worse.”

Richard nodded as Hopper moved aside, letting him exit the car. He watched as Billy sagged against Steve once the cruiser with Neil inside pulled away. Theresa was guiding the boys back into the house, she glanced back at Richard as he took another second to compose himself. He had to admit once he’d had a chance to sit he’d scared himself. He never knew he could lose control like that. He made his way back into the house, he wanted to see how Steve was, see if Theresa was ok. He walked in and heard them in the kitchen, Theresa was no doubt making another ice pack for Steve. 

“Everyone ok?” They all turned, surprised at his presence. Steve nodded, Billy was sitting quietly, he now had an ice pack as well. 

“Are you ok, I thought you were going to kill him,” Theresa said. 

“I’m a little in shock myself, I really don’t know what would have happened if Jim hadn’t shown up.”

“It’s kind of like watching from the outside. It’s pretty scary, realizing you were close to taking it too far.” Billy spoke up, he was looking over at Steve, there was a story there. 

“He hit my kid. It was bad enough seeing him shove you, but he put his hands on my child. I know I haven’t been the best father, but I’ll be damned if I let someone touch my family.” Steve looked over at Richard, looking a little misty-eyed, a little in awe. 

“Thanks, dad.” Richard nodded.

“We’re not home much, I don’t see that changing anytime soon, I’m not sure what the situation is going to be with your father Billy, but I see no reason you can’t stay here. It’s really more Steve’s home than it is mine. I promise we’ll give you guys a heads up when we come to visit.”

“You’re really ok with this?” Steve was skeptical, it was understandable.

“I’m still not really sure how I feel, I feel like I’m going to be ok. It’s clear you two care for each other, and it’s clear that Billy can’t stay in the same home as Neil. I know I keep saying it, but I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. But I do know that kids shouldn’t be afraid of their parents. It’s going to be hard enough out there for you two, the least you can have is one place where you’re safe.” 

The boys nodded again and Richard took his leave, going to clean himself up. Theresa busied herself with dinner. They all wandered in at various times to eat, Steve and Billy taking their plates to his room. By the end of the night, they’d been informed that Neil had been charged with assault and Jim had helped the boys to file a restraining order. He heard them making plans to retrieve Billy’s belongings the next day. He and Theresa needed to get some sleep, they had a flight in the morning. 

Richard knew he still had a lot of atoning to do, that he’d never really be able to make up for the way he’d treated Steve previously. The one thing he was sure of was that he wasn’t going to use his absence as an excuse to bury his head in the sand. He wanted to know his son, he wanted to change their relationship. It had been a busy few days, things weren’t perfect, they had a long way to go, but Steve deserved the effort.


	3. Almost Doesn't Count

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy almost makes the biggest mistake of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a bit angsty, but there's a happy ending I swear. No sex this time.

Billy’s mind had been made up, he had his bags packed, money in his pocket and car gassed up. He was going to go, get in his car and drive til he couldn’t drive anymore. Steve’s eyes had filled, his face had looked panicked and he started pleading his case. Giving Billy every reason he should stay. It wasn’t Steve’s pleading that did it, though he was making a good case, telling Billy he loved him, begging him to stay. It was the moment when Steve’s face caught up to his mind, in the midst of all his begging something in his face changed and it was like a punch to Billy’s gut, it was the look in his eyes that said he knew he couldn’t change Billy’s mind, it was a quiet resignation, it was the same look that Billy got when he knew he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of Neil’s fists. It was the look of someone who knew they just had to take it. And god-fucking-damn-it, it stopped him dead in his tracks, he was so caught up in his feelings that he almost missed the way Steve whispered “It’s ok Billy, it’s ok.” 

He had been so sure that this was the right thing to do, to walk away and let Steve go. He’d give Steve a clean break, free him from all his bullshit and baggage, let him be free to live a life he deserved, find himself a nice girl, have that family he wanted, everything that Billy was sure he couldn’t give him. But now he was looking at Steve, and his heart broke, because Steve wasn’t curled in on himself the way Billy was used to, hiding from the hurt, no, Steve was standing tall, jaw set. He was keeping the waver out of his voice, but his face, this was no new routine for Steve, this was old hat, another case of someone he loved leaving him, he knew how to do this, he knew how to be left behind. 

There was a moment, just a moment of anger that flashed through Billy. Steve was just going to let him go, just giving up on him, just like that, and for a second, Billy’s mind screamed, “FIGHT FOR ME!” And in that split second, where his anger almost made it out of his mouth, his brain kicked in and he suddenly wondered if this had ever been about Steve. Because Steve had fought for him, from the moment their friendship began, Steve had fought. When anyone said anything about Billy, Steve stood his ground, when they became a couple, Steve told everyone to shut up and deal with it, that Billy was good to him, that he deserved a chance. And he knew somewhere in the back of his mind he had convinced himself that leaving would be fine because Steve didn’t really love him. 

But it was there, always there. The way Steve smiled at him, the way he mended his wounds, let Billy tell him about it in his own time. It was there in the spare key that showed up on his key ring, the way he knew where the emergency key that not even Dustin knew about was hidden. It was there in the way Steve slept through the night when Billy was next to him, the way the Metallica and Motley Crue records showed up in the collection, or how Billy’s favorite snacks were suddenly in the cabinets. The love was there as Steve held him close when Neil had torn him down. It was there when Steve called him “moonbeam,” his light in the darkness. He looked at Billy like he was his end all, be all like he was special. 

And Billy had almost sent it all crashing down, almost completely shattered both their hearts. He was special to Steve and he almost turned himself into just another person who left him. He almost made himself like every other person in Steve’s life. He was special, in Steve’s story, he was more than he had ever thought he could be. In Steve’s story he mattered, he was the sun, the stars, the moon. And he almost lost it, almost betrayed the one person who never wavered on him. And his resolve crumbled, ground itself to dust beneath his feet. Because Steve was there, holding himself together, being strong so that Billy could leave him behind and not feel guilty. Because Steve was still giving Billy everything he had, even in the face of absolute devastation, he was still being strong for Billy. And here Billy was almost doing the one thing Steve hated, he was trying to decide Steve’s future for him. 

He was never going to deserve Steve, but no one was ever going to deserve Steve. Because Steve was too goddamn good for this world. And Billy got it, this was never about who deserved Steve, it was about who Steve deserved. And he deserved someone who would be as steadfast as he was, someone who could let him break down, who could show him that vulnerability was not a weakness, that he could cry and be soft, and that it didn’t make him less. He deserved someone who would show up for him, who would fight for him the way he fought for them. Someone who could face their own bullshit and be as brave as he was. And Billy could do that, he could get over himself because now he knew, this was never about Steve, it was about Billy, about his fears and insecurities. They had no place here.

Steve saw him, the real him. He knew Billy without the bravado and armor. He knew the Billy who simultaneously loved and hated his own father, who just wanted to know why his own parents couldn’t love him. He knew the Billy who was terrified of his own feelings, his own desires, the Billy who had almost convinced himself that he was made wrong. Steve loved him, even the broken parts, even the dark parts, the parts Billy thought no one could ever love. How could he have ever been so stupid? Steve was a once in a lifetime kind of love, the one that everyone else had to live up to, the kind of love you never forgot, the kind you never got over. Billy almost gave that up. 

“It’s not ok, Stevie, it’s not ok, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” he pulled Steve into his arms, and Steve clung to him, holding tight. “Help me bring my bags in.”

Lying in the afterglow, Steve sleeping in his arms, he took in the sight of the room, his clothes hanging on his side of the closet. He smiled, he had a side of the closet now, he had a drawer in the dresser and a side of the sink. His books were on a shelf, he was in this room now, tangible evidence of his place in Steve’s life. He kissed the top of Steve’s head, shaking out the disbelief that he almost gave it all up. Almost.


	4. Off Limits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heather was pissed, she was on a rampage and Billy knew he’d fucked up. He really hadn’t thought it would be that big of a deal, she’d just write it off as Billy being Billy, but she was livid. And maybe he should have expected it, she’d never put limits on him before, generally stayed out of his personal life, but not long after she and Robin made it official she came and told him that her girlfriend’s best friend was off-limits.

Heather was pissed, she was on a rampage and Billy knew he’d fucked up. He really hadn’t thought it would be that big of a deal, she’d just write it off as Billy being Billy, but she was livid. And maybe he should have expected it, she’d never put limits on him before, generally stayed out of his personal life, but not long after she and Robin made it official she came and told him that her girlfriend’s best friend was off-limits. She had been clear and Billy went ahead and appeased her, figuring it must be important if she was actually willing to say it. When he finally met Steve he figured he’d be able to keep his promise, they didn’t have much in common and while Steve was a looker, he wasn’t exactly Billy’s type either. Billy tended to like his fellow gym rats, don’t get him wrong, Steve was in shape but he definitely didn’t spend all his spare time in the gym. 

Steve was nice, a little bit of a dork, and kind of an airhead, but he was endearing and he meant well. He was definitely not the kind of person Billy would consider for a long term relationship, he needed someone who could talk about books and movies, who he could have long, deep, philosophical conversations with, not some adorable little himbo who had the attention span of a goldfish. Steve would be fine for a good time but definitely nothing serious. But Billy wasn’t looking for something serious right now. He was finally out from under his father’s thumb and he wanted to slut around as much as he could. He didn’t have to worry about word getting back to Neil and even if it did he didn’t live at home and he wasn’t in school on Neil’s dime. 

So he and Steve were civil, they got along fine on group outings, but generally, Billy would his eyes out for someone he could chat up. He had actually thought Steve was straight, Robin had mentioned his ex-girlfriend a few times and mentioned him having various dates with girls he’d met on tinder. She’d told Heather she thought he was trying too hard, but he was lonely, didn’t like being by himself. It wasn’t until they’d been out clubbing when he found out Steve swung both ways. Billy had been talking to some guy when Steve rushed past him, he’d knocked into the guy and thrown out an apology as he booked it toward the door. Billy had just started to wonder what was going on when another guy came past, hot on Steve’s heels. He was clearly looking for Steve and it put Billy on alert. He told the guy he’d be right back and followed the guy outside.

“Come on Steve, just come in, let me buy you a drink, we’ll talk. I just want a chance to apologize, explain.” Billy heard the guy say.

“Explain what exactly, you cheated on me.” 

“Ok, but Steve come on, can you blame me, I mean you walked around looking so hot all the time, got me riled up then kept denying me. I had needs Steve.” 

Billy scoffed at that remark, he knew he shouldn’t be listening but he really did want to make sure Steve was ok, the guy just gave off a bad vibe. And he really couldn’t believe he was trying to justify cheating. Billy knew he was no boy scout, his love 'em and leave' em reputation was not a rumor, and he had been known to ghost a person or two and he’d never been in a real relationship but he knew he would never cheat, to him that was a given. He was trying to decide if he should make himself known, maybe give Steve an excuse to get away.

“Needs! That’s your excuse, you’re unbelievable!” 

Billy could hear Steve walking away, was getting ready to head back inside when he heard a loud thud. Billy knew that sound, he’d heard it enough times in his life, someone had been slammed into a wall. He rounded the corner and saw Steve being pressed into the wall, and who was apparently his ex hovering over him. Steve looked surprised but not scared and the guy looked a little shocked himself. He started stuttering as he backed up.

“I’m sorry Steve, I just, you were leaving and…” 

“Ty, just move and let me go home. “ Billy chose that moment to make himself known.

“Hey Stevie, that you?!” He called out as he made his way down the alley. 

“Hey Billy, it’s me, I’m coming.” 

Steve extracted himself from the situation and headed over to Billy leaving Ty behind them. Billy stayed with Steve til his uber arrived and he headed back into the club. He told the girls what happened and that Steve was on his way home and went and found the guy from earlier. He was lucky that the guy was understanding and had really had his mind set on getting into Billy’s bed that night. It had been a small blip in his night, though he did find himself contemplating the fact that Steve had a male ex. 

And Billy thinks that little piece of knowledge was the beginning of the end. He saw Steve the next day when the girls showed up at his place and dragged him to brunch, it gave him an excuse to dismiss his previous night’s partner. Steve told him he was fine and asked Billy if he ended up going home with that guy. The rest of the brunch carried on and Billy found himself realizing that he felt a little lighter around Steve, didn’t have to hold himself back when it came to talking about his conquests. He hadn’t even realized he had been doing it, but now he wouldn’t have to anymore. 

Now that he knew he found himself watching Steve, trying to get a gauge on the type of guys he liked, well at least liked looking at. Steve, it seemed, was an equal opportunist, he didn’t really have a set type and honestly seemed to prefer dating women over men. Billy wasn’t sure what to make of it but also knew that people had preferences and figured it really wasn’t his business who Steve preferred to date. Billy hadn’t realized it at the time but he was trying to gauge his chances, but you know, hindsight. 

So all these developments led them to this moment. Heather standing above his bed, yelling at him to get up as she threw his pants at him. He was a little surprised that Steve hadn’t woken up but he had learned that once you got him to sleep, he slept like the dead. He only hoped he’d be able to explain himself before Heather skinned him alive. He leaned over and brushed the hair of Steve’s head, giving him a soft kiss on his forehead. He put his pants on and marched out the meet Heather’s wrath.

“I can’t believe you! I specifically told you he was off-limits!” Heather stopped and took a breath, trying to calm herself down. “Look, Billy, I have never asked you not to sleep with someone, it’s just, I know how you are and Steve, he’s not that way, he doesn’t do one night stands, hasn’t since high school, and he’s dated guys but he’s never actually slept with one, well not til now anyway. And you’re MY best friend, I just don’t want things to be awkward, because if Steve slept with you it means he likes you like really likes you.” 

“He loves me.” Billy thought Heather’s eyes were going to pop out of her skull and he was pretty sure she gave herself whiplash with how quickly her head whipped toward him.

“I’m sorry what did you just say, he loves you. BILLY!!” 

“Heather, it’s ok, just sit, just let me explain it all.” She gave him a glare, but crossed the room and sat down on their couch. 

“I better not have to kick your ass after this.” 

“He’s not a one night stand, he’s not a fuckbuddy. He’s my boyfriend. He snuck up on me Heather, just straight-up hit me out of nowhere, and I couldn’t say no.” 

“When did you two even start dating?” Heather’s demeanor had changed, she was visibly calm now.

“Few months, I mean, you’re always at Robin’s and mostly we stay at Steve’s. I honestly don’t even know how we started, I just kinda realized one day that we were together. We’d been spending time and hanging out and he kissed me and I just couldn’t imagine not kissing him again. I really wasn’t ready for him, Heather, but he’s so good, probably better than I deserve and I get why you told me to keep away, but I swear, I really want us to work.”   
“Ok, well that’s not what I was expecting. Um…, well I’m sorry I yelled at you. I just.. I just thought you guys got drunk and ended up in bed. I mean, that’s kinda what I’m used to with you. I’m guessing maybe you love him too, I mean it kinda seems like it.” Heather had grabbed a hold of his hands as she spoke, her tone soft now. 

“I think I do, I mean, he’s got me locked down, I don’t want anyone else. He’s told me he loves me.” 

“He loves fast, I knew he’d like you. That’s the biggest reason I wanted to keep you away. You were always talking about not wanting a relationship, always kept things from being serious and he wants love.” Heather explained.

“I know, he’s fuckin perfect Heather, it kind of freaks me out. I just wasn’t ready to say anything, so tell Robin not to be mad at Steve. And if we’re done I wanna get back in bed and cuddle my boyfriend.”

Heather nodded and gave him a hug, sending him on his way. He smiled as he walked into the room, Steve was still curled up in the bed, he’d migrated closer to Billy’s side. He slid in and took his place next to Steve, gently adjusting him so they were both comfortable. He felt warm as Steve snuggled closer, it felt good to say it out loud, he looked down at Steve in his arms and knew, as soon as he woke up he was going to tell him that he loved him too.


End file.
